Basarabeasca Residents Participate in first WE&EU Citizens’ Dialogue
On 15 November 2019 the first Citizens‘ Dialogue in the framework of the project “EU perceptions and reality in Moldova (WE&EU)” took place in Basarabeasca. The event was jointly organized by the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP), the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE) and the Institute for Strategic Initiatives (IPIS) and was attended by around 40 participants from local civil society organizations, the business community, academia, local authorities and the media.
The first part of the event conveyed general information on the EU’s and the member states’ support to Moldova, its goals and underlying values, as well as specific information on funding opportunities in the region. As a specific example, the ongoing programmes of the Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (giz) in Moldova were presented in detail. Subsequently, three representatives from the local civil society had the opportunity to share their experience as beneficiaries of EU grants for regional development projects. These interventions were followed by an open discussion with the audience on the effectiveness of EU support in Moldova, the specific target areas of the support as well as on application procedures and requirements.
The second part of the dialogue focused on the impact of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement in the sphere of human rights and rule of law, with special attention to the issue of inter-ethnic relations and integration of minorities in Moldova. The Chair of the Equality Council, Yan Feldman, as well as Nicolai Cheleș, head of the Youth Platform for Interethnic Solidarity, joined the debate to share their input regarding institutional and structural improvements in the sphere of minority integration, which were achieved with the support of the European Union. In the ensuing discussion with the audience, it was once again highlighted that the EU seeks to strengthen good governance, the rule of law and societal cohesion in Moldova, and that the Association Agreement is not a geopolitical instrument to force an either-or decision upon the Republic of Moldova.
The participants of the dialogue welcomed the opportunity to get more detailed information about EU funding opportunities in their locality and concerning the EU-Moldova Association Agreement in general, and voiced the wish to have more similar events organized in their region.
The project “WE&EU: EU Perceptions and Reality in Moldova” aims at making a substantial contribution to overcoming the societal dividing lines in Moldova regarding the EU rapprochement process by promoting informed intra-societal dialogue on the specific contents and underlying values of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement and the concrete benefits of modernising Moldova in the course of the EU rapprochement process. The project activities between July 2019 and June 2020 include citizens’ dialogues, workshops, public conferences and TV debates in diverse regions such as Basarabeasca, Orhei, Nisporeni and Ungheni. The project is kindly supported by the German Federal Foreign Office.
More information on the project can be found here.
